While the motives for altering the photo are unclear, was probably unwise, and may have been simple spite, it does not follow that altering the phot is evidence of a conspiracy to hide from the world the historical connections to Jujitsu. In fact, in the martial arts community in Japan, doing so would have been Impossible. Everyone can recognize nikyo, for example. It is very hard to believe that anyone would have thought it possible to erase the history or that they would have attempted to do so. Moreover, as this interview from 1957 demonstrates (http://www.aikidofaq.com/interviews/interviews.html), they were speaking openly of O Sensei's background. There are numerous examples were they did so during this period.

While on the subject, as the interview cited above indicates, while many of the techniques of Aikido evolved out of Daito Ru, O Sensei changed them so that in the context of Aikido they were performed in a significantly different manner. In fact we know that O Sensei cautioned us repeatedly not to get too hung up on techniques as Take Muso Aiki transcends technique. Aikido mimics the movement of the sword and other weapons as well as the movements of nature. Modern Aikido owes far less to Daito Ru. So the history is not the history of O Sensei rebranding Daito Ru. It is the history of his creating a new and distinctive art.